Machines for cleaning hypodermic needles



July 17, 1956 o. w. VARGA 2,754,534

MACHINES FOR CLEANING HYPODERNIC NEEDLES Filed April 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 17, 1956 o. w. VARGA, 2,754,534

MACHINES FOR CLEANING HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Filed April 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /ff /ff 57 'J3 INVENTOR.

/ 5:5 5. #fram/rrr United States Patent MACHINES FOR CLEANING HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Oscar W. Varga, Englewood, Colo., assignor to Technical Equipment Corporation, Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Application April 27, 1953, Serial No. 351,238

v 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-302) 'Ihis invention relates to a device for cleaning and sterilizing hypodermic needles, and more particularly to a machine of the character illustrated in applicants copending application, Serial No. 210,498, now Reissue Patent No. Re. 24,054.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an automatic machine for receiving used hypodermic needles and which will automatically operate to subject each needle in sequence to a detergent bath, a sterile water wash, a hot air drying, a mechanical swabbing, and a nal air cleaning.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that it will automatically discharge the cleaned needles into any suitable receptacle, without the touch of human hands.

A further object is to provide means for manually initiating the operation of the machine in combination with mechanical means for automatically following through the sequential operations.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side view of the improved hypodermic needle cleaning machine;

Fig. 2 is a front View thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of a portion of the rear face of a needle wheel employed in the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section, taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a similar cross-section, taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 1; and

' Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detail section, taken 'on the line 6 6, Fig. 2.

The improved needle-cleaning machine is mounted on a suitable base plate 10 from which a front plate 11 and a rear plate 12 arise. A third plate 13 having an open central portion extends upwardly from the base plate- 10 in spaced relation to the rear plate 12.

A slidable and rotatable shaft 14 is mounted in suitable bearings 15 in the front plate 11 and the rear plate 12 and extends through the open center of the third plate 13. Rearward movement of the shaft 14 is limited by means of a front set collar 16, and the forward movement thereof is similarly limited by means of a rear set collar 17. Both collars 16 and 17 are iixedly secured to the shaft 14.

The .plates 12 and 13 support a horizontal bar 18, from the forward extremity of which a swinging yoke 19 de pends from ka hingepin 20. The lower extremity of the yokeisbifurcated so as vto pass on bothsides 'of the shaft ice Shifting rollers 21 are mounted on roller pins 22, one of which extends inwardly from each furcation of the yoke 19 on opposite sides of the shaft 14. The rollers 21 are positioned to engage between a set flange 23 affixed to or formed on the shaft 14 and a slide collar 24 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 14. A compression spring, 25 constantly urges the collar 24 against the rollers 21.. The spring 25 surrounds the shaft 14 and is compressed. between the collar 24 and a toothed gear 26 aixed toA the shaft 14.

It can be seen that if the bottom of the yoke 19 is swung; forwardly, the rollers 21 will act against the set ange 23 to force the shaft 14 forwardly until the rear set collar' 17 engages the rear bearing 15, as shown in Fig. 1. When'f the bottom of the yoke 19 is swung rearwardly, as indi-- the shaft 14 rearwardly until the front set collar 16 engages the rear bearing 15 to prevent further rearward'l movement of the shaft 14. The yoke, however, can be: moved still further rearward, and will act to slide the slidef collar 24 along the shaft 14 against the action of the: spring 25.

As illustrated, the shaft 14 is rotated through sixteem preset intervals, through the medium of the gear 26, Whiclr contains sixteen tooth spaces and an actuating lever 27.. The lever 27 is mounted on a rotatable shaft 28 extending between suitable bearings 29 on the plates 12 and 13 and the upper extremity of the lever engages in the tooth spaces of the gear 26.

The lower extremity of the lever 27 extends downwardly adjacent the base plate 10. A pneumatic cylinder 30 is mounted on the base plate 10 and provided with a pneumatically actuated plunger 31 positioned to force the lower extremity of the lever 27 outwardly against a limiting stop member 32. The lower extremity of the lever 27 is constantly urged toward the plunger 31 by means of a suitable tension spring 33.

Each time the plunger 31 is actuated, it will swing the lever 27 to cause the upper extremity thereof to swing to the broken line position of Fig. 5 so as to rotate the gear 26 one tooth space. Return movement of the gearl is prevented by means of a click spring 34 mounted on the bar 18 and riding between` the teeth of the gear 26.

T he lever 27 remains in the broken line position of Fig. 5 until the shaft 14 is moved rearwardly to slide the teeth of the gear 26 away from the lever 27 so as to allow the spring 33 to snap the lever back to its former position as shown in solid line in Fig. 5L

The shaft 14 is moved rearwardly by means of a second pneumatic cylinder 35 which actuates a second plunger 36. The plunger 36 connects with a T-head member l37 from the extremities of which studs 38 project into guide slots 39 in the furcations of the yoke 19. The shaft 14 is returned to its forward position by means of a suitable spring 40.

The forward extremity of the shaft 14 is provided with a needle disc or wheel 41 having uniformly spaced notches 42 in its periphery for the reception of Shanks 75 of conventional hypodermic needles, such as indicated at 74 in Fig. 6. The needles are held in place in the wheel 41 by means of resilient wire retaining springs 43 which are4 secured to the back of the wheel 41 by means of suitable attachment screws 44, and which can be llexed against; suitable retaining screws 45. The extremities of thesprings 43 are bent at right angles and the right angular` bent portion is bent in U-shape Ato overlie the shank of`v the needle.

Each needle 74 is placed in its notch 42 withl the.- needle portion' extending forwardly.' When in positionL in their notches,.the bent extremities of the retaining;-

3 springs 43 will snap over the Shanks 75 of the needles to retain'them in their notches.

The front plate 11 carries the following devices in alignment with the notches 42, of the wheel 41, namely: a detergent nozzle 46, a water nozzle 47, a first air nozzle 48., al rotatable swab shaft 49, and a second air nozzle 30.

The detergent nozzle 46 and` the water nozzle 47 are slidable in the plate 11 so that they may be forced rearwardly therein, as shown in Fig. 6. They are constantly urged forwardly by means of compression springs 51 which. surround the nozzles and are compressed between the front plate 11 and spring flanges 52 on the nozzles. The Shanks 75 of conventional hypodermic needles are square and are provided with end flanges 77 formed thereon. These end flanges contact the rear face of the needle Wheel 41 to limit the forward movement of the needles.

i The air nozzles 48, and` 50. are rigidly mounted in the plate. 11.V The, swab .shaft 49. is rotatable in the plate 11 and is adapted to receive a cotton swab 54 wrapped about the extremity of its shaft 49. The shaft 49 extends rearwardly to the shaft of a small motor 55 mounted on a motor bracket plate 56 secured to the rear plate 12. The motor 55 operates constantly duringthe operation of the machine.

A detergent solution is supplied to the detergent nozzle 4.6 from any suitable pressure source through a detergent supply conduit 58 controlled by a push valve 63. Sterile water, under pressure, is supplied to the water nozzle 47 through a water supply conduit 57 controlled by a second push valve 62. Low-pressure hot air is supplied to the air nozzles 48 and 50 through a low pressure air pipe 59 controlled by a third push valve 61 and. high-pressure air is supplied to the pneumatic cylinder 30 through a high pressure air conduit 60 and connecting tube 69 controlled by a fourth push valve 64.

The push valves are of conventional construction, and are of the type having an operatingbutton 65 which, when depressed, opens the valve. The valves 61 and 62 are mounted on a valve plate 6,6, supported from the third plate 13, so that their buttons 65 will be in the path of one of the furcations of the yoke 19. The valve 63 is similarly mounted so that its button 65 will be in the path of the other furcation of the yoke 19. The valve 64 is mounted on a bracket member 67 extending from the bar 18 so that its button 65 will be in the path of a finger 68formed on the yoke 19 above the hinge pin 20.

Let us assume that hypodermic needles are being placed in the needle wheel 4,1. As each additional needle is placed therein, the operator actuates a suitable foot or hand valve, allowing air to flow through an air pipe 70 to the second cylinder 35. This causes the plunger 36 therein to swing the yoke 19 rearwardly, bringing the Shanks of the needles into contact with the various nozzles and the swab on the front plate 11. Further rearward movement of the needle wheel is prevented by the front set collar 16. The needles are now in cleaning position. The plunger 36, however, continues to force the yoke rearwardly, causing it to compress the spring 25 and contact and open the valves 61, 62, and 63, allowing air, watery-and detergent solution to flow through the needles.

The air in the cylinder 35 is now released, allowing the spring 40` to swing the yoke 19 forwardly to move the needle wheel away from the nozzles and to cause the finger 68y tocontactand open the valve 64. This allows air to ow through the tube 69-to the cylinder 30, causing the latter to actuate the lever 27 to turn the shaft 14 one needle spaceso that theneedle which has been subjected to detergent solution will` now move in front of the water nozzle. 47, andthe needle which has been washed will move infront ofjtheairnozzle 48, and the needle which has been dried will move in front of the swab 54, andj the needle which, hasbeen swabbed will move in front of.` the naltair cleaningnozzleSO, and-the next needle to be, cleaned is. added ato. the. needle wheel.

Air is again admitted to the cylinder 35, causing the shaft 14 to move rearwardly to repeat the cleaning process. As it moves rearwardly, the lever 27 will snap back to its original position, ready for the next actuation of the gear 26.

The needle Shanks are accurately aligned with their various nozzlesby means of a fixed aligning pin 7.2 which projects forwardly from the front plate 11. The needle wheel is provided with a plurality of spaced aligning holes 71 which successively pass over the pin 72 as the wheel moves rearwardly, to lock the wheel in its various operating positions. The aligning pin 72 serves an additional function. It will. be noted that each needle-retaining spring 43 passes over a portion of the adjacent aligning hole 71, andv that the aligning pin 72 has a conical or pointed extremity 73. Therefore, as the wheel 41 moves rearwardly, this pointed extremity will force the retaining springV 43 to one side, as shown in broken line inFig. 3, to cause the hooked extremity of the spring to release the needle from thewheel and allow it to drop into a suitable receiver placed below the wheel.

There is a tendency for the needles to rotate in their notches 42 under the influence of the swab 54. This tendency is resistedby means of radial lugs 76 formed on or attached to, the wheel 41 adjacent the notches 42. These lugs contact the Hat faces of the square needle Shanks 75 to resist rotation of the needles.

While the machine has been described as being provided withv a manually operated valve for initiating the ow of air to the pneumatic cylinder 35, it is conceivable thatl a motor-driven program device may be employed for admitting air to, and discharging air from, the cylinder 35 at regular intervals to provide a completely automatic machine.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood thatl the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimedi and desiredV secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A machine for cleansing hypodermic needles comprising: a shaft; a needle wheel mounted on said shaft; a series of uniformly spaced needle holding devices adapted to support needles about the periphery of said wheel; a plurality of similarly spaced cleansing devices supported adjacent the periphery of said wheel; means acting on said shaft to move the latter rearwardlyl to bring the needles into cleansing relation with said cleansing devices; means for moving said shaft forwardly to sepa rate said needles from said cleansing devices; a' toothed gear on said shaft; an actuating lever engaging the teeth of said gear; and means for actuating said lever in consequence of the forward movement of said shaft so as to cause said lever to rotate said gear one tooth space.

2. A machine for cleansing hypodermic needles comprising: a shaft; a needle wheel mounted on said shaft; a series of uniformly spaced needle holding devices adapted to support needles about the periphery of said wheel; a plurality of similarly spaced cleansing devices supported adjacent the periphery of said wheel; a first means acting on said shaft to move the latter rearwardly to bring the needles intocleansing relation with said cleansing devices; a second means for moving said shaft forwardly to separate said needles from said cleansing devices; a toothed gear on saidl shaft; an actuating lever engaging the teeth of said gear; a pressure actuated device actuating said lever to rotate said. gear; a valve controlling the flow of actuating fluidto saidpressure-actuated device; and meansactuated by the forward movement of said shaft to4 open said valve to admit actuatinguid to said pressure-actuated device.

3. A machine forv cleansing hypodermic needles comprising: a plurality-y of arcuately arranged, equally-spaced needle cleansing devices; a needle wheel positioned for-.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Varga Aug. 23, 1955 Burges May 31, 1892 Nielsen Apr. 14, 1914 Le Brocq Apr. 1l, 1916 Howard Sept. 12, 1939 Varga Apr. 28, 1953 Casady et al. Oct. 13, 1953 

